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Jessie and Tim have challenged themselves to be kinder with a 12 month project. (Picture: YouTube/12 Kinds of Kindness)

We could all do with being a little kinder.

Whether it’s aggressively hating the guy who takes ages to pull out his Oystercard at the barriers, pretending we just didn’t hear the charity campaigner asking for a moment of our time in the street, or resenting that one person in your office just because their voice is a tiny bit annoying, we can be pretty awful people now and again.

It’s okay, and you don’t need to beat yourself up for not being a perfect, unconditionally loving person.

But maybe 2016 could be the year we challenge ourselves to just try to lower the level of meanness, and refocus on being nice.

(Picture: 12 Kinds of Kindness)

Two artists leading the way are Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, creators of the 40 Days of Dating series that landed them a book deal and loads of internet fame.

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They’ve set themselves the task of learning to be kinder through the 12 Kinds of Kindness project – a 12 month project of social experiments and tests to make Jessie and Tim explore ideas of vulnerability and empathy.

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Jessie and Tim told metro.co.uk: ‘We feel there is too much apathy all around, and the world needs kindness, empathy and love now more than ever.

‘So why not try a 12-step program to cure our own apathy and selfishness?’

(Picture: 12 Kinds of Kindness)

They based their 12 step plan on the recovery programmes used in addiction treatment, reading plenty of books and essays on theories of kindness to get to the root of why being nice is so powerful.

The project starts with exploring kindness in Jessie and Tim’s living environments, with the pair asking people in their community what they need help with, seeing if people will help them when they’re in need, and testing if people were more likely to help a missing dog or a missing person.

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Then the project becomes more introspective. Tim reaches out to his father. Jess takes a look back over some of the more difficult periods in her life, opening up about eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.

For both Tim and Jessie, these steps were the hardest to get through.

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The random acts of kindness and good deeds, meanwhile, were especially rewarding.

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‘I used to think all this do-good-feel-good stuff was overrated,’ says Jessie. ‘But it honestly makes me feel so inspired and much happier now that I’ve started integrating random kindness into my life more.

‘It’s shocking how even the small things, like a nice compliment, can make someone’s day.’

12 Kinds of Kindness is all finished up on Jessie and Tim’s end, and they’ll now be sharing their stories and experiences on the project’s dedicated website from now until February 11, with videos of their experiments to show you how everything went.

(Picture: 12 Kinds of Kindness)

Jessie and Tim say that the last 12 months of kindness have truly changed their lives, and want to encourage others to try it out for themselves.

‘I can honestly say I’ve changed and become more aware of people around me that need help, even when I am not doing things for a camera or to write about,’ says Jessie.

‘I’ve also learned to be much kinder to myself, the steps four and five played an instrumental role in that. I think loving yourself is the first step before being able to help others.’

(Picture: 12 Kinds of Kindness)

‘We hope it inspires others to try some of these steps as well and put more kindness into the world.

‘I think the world needs a kindness and empathy movement right now, and we hope to play any small part!’